Mystic Quest: Search for the Stone
by enemytosleep
Summary: In a crossover of epically nerdy proportions, Ed and Winry meet up with a familiar pair of sky-pirates, a fugitive royal guard, and a prince, all of whom are on a search for a stone of legendary power.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This was originally a contest entry for the Livejournal group, fma_fic_contest. I had so much fun writing it, but had had to cut it short due to the deadline. Finally, I've been able to go back and edit and expand on this super nerdy crossover. I hope you enjoy!

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"Remind me again why we're in the sewers instead of in the streets, enjoying the festival." The young blonde girl stared incredulously at her equally blonde companion as they trudged through the shallow waters of Rabanastre's old flood gates.

Not bothering to slow down or turn around, he answered her, his voice echoing off the long stone corridor. "I've already told you. I've heard rumors of The Goddess' Tear at the palace, and the festival is the perfect cover for when I take it."

"Right, and you don't think there'll be any extra security or anything with the new Consul being present?" Her voice was heavily laced with sarcasm, which perfectly matched the disbelieving look that she gave him. Ed figured there wasn't anything he could say that would sway her thoughts at this point, so he didn't even bother replying.

He had known Winry for as long as he could remember, and if the stories Pinako told him were true, then even before that. They were orphans of the war with Archades, having lost their parents when they were both quite young. Winry's grandmother had taken them all in, Winry, Edward, and his brother, and had raised them as best she could with what little she had. Money wasn't easy for old-time mechanics in the desert city where few ships could travel freely, so they had to make due with what little money they could earn. The war had taken more than that though. Alphonse, Ed's younger brother and only living relative, had been stolen from them as well, another casualty of the Empire.

"Ed, are you even listening to me?" She grabbed his shoulders and swung him around to face her. "I think the chances of you being caught are pretty high, and for what? Some stone that's said to contain heavy traces of Mist? Isn't your alchemy powerful enough already?"

"Winry, don't pretend to know how alchemy works. Just stick to your airships and leave Quickenings to me."

"In case you've forgotten - and knowing the way you retain information on things that don't interest you I'd say that you have - I work with magicite everyday. What do you think gets those big ships up in the air anyway? You are so frustrating sometimes, do you know that?"

"If I bother you so much then why are you always following me?" His eyebrow arched teasingly as he removed her hands from his shoulders.

"To keep you out of trouble, of course! If it weren't for me you'd be rotting in Nalbina by now."

"If you say so." The young alchemist turned and continued trekking through the empty conduit, chuckling under his breath.

Resolutely she followed after, sloshing through deep puddles of stagnant rainwater. They were fortunate that it was currently Dry Season, for when the rains came these underground pipe-ways would be filled to the brim, making their little adventure impossible.

Rabanastre was a very old city, surrounded on all sides by desert land. Centuries ago, when the Royal City had first been constructed, the early architects had designed the Garamsythe Waterway to control the raging waters of Wet Season. The waterway had been rebuilt countless times over the years, and was now a terrible labyrinth of grand sluices and conduits so complex that it had no map to mark its innumerable channels. Some believed the underground tunnels traveled for miles beneath the desolate sands surrounding the city. There were also rumors that the tunnels led right into the Royal Palace itself, and it was on these rumors that Edward had begun exploring the abandoned sluice gates.

He had spent the last few weeks sneaking off to one of the old storerooms where he had found an old entrance to the grand sewers. Through trial and calculation, the determined alchemist had discovered what he believed to be the route to the Palace Vault. It was pure luck that the new Consul had been appointed that very same week, planning the festival to mark his appointment.

They walked together in silence; the only sounds audible were the splashing of their boots and the crinkling of Ed's homemade map. It had been a while since they last heard the festivities on the streets above. The pathways seemed to travel gradually deeper, though there was no honest way to gauge the slope from inside the waterway itself. It just seemed cooler, danker, quieter...they were almost there if Ed was right about this.

Time passed achingly slow, their anxiety making the minutes feel like hours, until finally they reached a dead end. Winry huffed and began to walk back, muttering about stupid adventures, while Ed ran his hands over the damp rock. There was a warmth within the stone that wasn't natural in this environment. This had to be it.

"Ed, what are you doing?"

"Watch." Clapping his hands together, Ed summoned the Mist about him. Blue light shimmered around him, much in the same way the heat rose from the afternoon sands. He focused the Mist as he placed his hands upon the wall, channeling it through the stone and reshaping it. The pathway was bathed in blinding blue light so bright that he could see it with his eyes closed. He could feel the slabs shift as the power of the Mist coursed through him. Soon the light faded and he opened his eyes to find that a doorway had emerged, revealing a set of hidden steps.

"Oh," Winry gasped from behind him. Ed turned, smirking proudly as she dumbly staggered over to examine the newly made door. That girl would never cease to be amazed by alchemy it seemed.

To be fair, alchemy was a rather uncommon ability. Not everyone was able to tune into the Mist, and even out of those who could, he had yet to meet someone that could manipulate the energy the same way that he could. Most often it was used in a destructive way, but Ed had managed to channel that energy in order to reconstruct the world around him. The Mist ebbed and flowed all throughout the land. Sometimes it was so thick that is was visible to the naked eye, masking the use of all other magic, and other times it as so scarce that no alchemist could call upon it.

He grabbed her shoulder with his left hand, using the other to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her hand rose to cover his own, squeezing his as he made to pull away. "Listen, Winry. Things could get ugly here. I don't want you to get involved in this." He leaned forward and touched his forehead to hers, lowering his voice to little more than a whisper. "You should go back to Lowtown and hang tight. Maybe go to Hughes' place. He'll be able to give you an alibi should you need it." Ed grabbed the stunned girl's hands and placed the map into them, closing her fingers around the crinkled parchment.

At the mention of that name, Winry snapped out of her reverie. "You know I don't like that man. He's always planting these crazy ideas in your head, and giving you the means to accomplish them. He's insane, Ed!"

"Yeah, but that's why I like him."

"Of course it is," she replied as she rolled her eyes.

"Please, Winry? If I'm not back by midnight, go home and pretend like we've never met. I don't want to drag you into this."

She glared at him for a few tense moments, before she sighed and gave in to his request. She hardly ever fought with him over things like this anymore, and while it certainly made things easier, he had to admit he almost missed her indignation. "Fine, but please be careful."

"I always am."

"Yeah right."

He squeezed her hands gently before releasing them from his grasp. Her eyes were painted with worry, and he didn't have it in him to face her any longer. Quickly, he turned from his childhood friend and bound up the stone stairway, not knowing where it might lead.


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn't long before he reached the top of the dark stairway. If he hadn't noticed the dimly lit outline of the trapdoor that covered the steps, he would have smashed his head on it. Folding himself to fit on the top step, he pressed his ear to the wooden door. He could hear several voices: some shouting, some in conversation. The young adventurer began to wonder why no one had noticed this entryway before if it led to such a busy place. Surely the wooden planks would be obvious amid the stone slabs of the floor? Or maybe he was wrong and this wasn't the palace after all?

He waited, crouched beneath the solid wood with baited breath. He waited for what felt like ages, though in reality it was only a matter of moments. Ed never was a patient guy. The muted commotion carried on without fail, and as time passed he had the sinking feeling that wherever he had arrived would likely remain this busy well into the night. Perhaps the festival wasn't the greatest of times to break into the palace.

He thought out his options from his cramped hiding place. He could turn back and try another time. Winry would be happy, but Hughes would never let him hear the end of it. He didn't think he could live with the idea of giving up when he was so close either. So that left moving forward. He could get caught. He could get sent to the dungeons. He could get beaten first. Despite the excitement on the other side of the door, he decided it was as safe as it would ever be for him to enter the surface again. There were no fortress walls that could hold him, and he would never back down from a fight. They probably moved most of the guards to the streets anyway.

Unfolding his stiffening legs from beneath him, he moved a few steps down to better support himself. He tested the trapdoor's weight with his shoulders, finding it immovable. "So alchemy it is, then." The young alchemist clapped his hands again, lighting up the surrounding Mist in the palest of blues. He placed his hands on the underside of the door, focusing the energy to reshape the blockade. With his eyes shut to the blinding light, all he could do was wonder why it was taking so long to open a pathway. Finally Ed could feel the resistance abate, and relaxed his focus on the swirling Mist.

The determined youth drew his knife and bounded from the descending stair, ready to take on anyone and anything that stood in his way. He immediately tripped over a large sack that sat on the floor, falling flat on top of its twin and stabbing the first with his knife. The bags were as solid as the stone of the floor. Ed could already feel a bruise forming on his shin where he had first made contact.

"What the hell is in these anyway?" As he withdrew his blade, a torrent of grain rice poured out from the hole his knife had made. "Rice?"

He stood carefully and examined the small room he had entered. The entire floor was covered in similar sacks of the dullest grey. In some places these sacks were stacked on top of each other, nearly reaching the ceiling. He spotted a doorway on the far side of the room. Shadows raced about the space below the door, and with them came the sounds of a busy kitchen.

"I bet the servants don't bother coming back here too often..." Well, it certainly accounted for a lot of things, like the existence of the stairway itself and the rumors about the Waterway. He wondered how long it had been since a tired servant had snuck down these hidden steps to find escape. It didn't explain the magicked wall that sealed them though. Maybe the castle guards did know about this entrance, and had had one of the mages seal it off. Whatever the case, it wouldn't do him any good to stand here and wait for someone to open that door and discover him.

His eyes swept over the room, searching for some other entrance. Bursting into the middle of the feast preparations went against his plans for a stealthy grab and run. Behind him in a far corner he spotted a small covered grate. Was it some sort of vent system for the kitchens? "Damned if I know," Ed muttered to himself, crawling over the countless bags of rice. Once he had reached the far side of the room he knelt down and inspected the covered opening. It would be a tight fit, but he was sure he could fit through. Ed grasped the bars firmly and pulled the grate off of the wall. It came off of its post with little protest, and he set it down against one of the many canvas sacks.

Still on his knees, Ed leaned forward and stuck his head into the small space. The back of his head scraped against the small ceiling, his long braid pulling uncomfortably. He wasn't going to be able to crawl on his knees here. In a small corner of his mind, he was grateful for his diminutive size, as an average boy of his age would likely never fit. Cursing that evil thought, he lowered himself onto his stomach and slowly slid forward into the dark chute. The aspiring thief only hoped that this vent would lead somewhere promising.


	3. Chapter 3

He slithered through the tight crawl space, his face nearly dragging on the floor of the old vetn. Coughing up dust, he could feel the sticky strands of gathering cobwebs as they grabbed at his neck. His hair was sure to be loaded with them. "This Magicite better be worth it," he threatened the musty tunnel. "And actually here." He didn't want to think about the possibility of the rumors being nothing more than hearsay, not after all of this.

Every now and again he would come across a slotted grate that granted him glimpses of the rooms beyond. He trudged past empty hall after empty hall, finding nothing of interest. Just as he began to consider going back, he saw a light at the end of the tunnel, quite literally in fact. The light fell through the decorative bars in shimmering beams. Excitedly, he pushed forward as quickly as he could.

With a bit of effort he managed to push the grate off of the entrance; it had been far more difficult from within the cramped space than when he had been on the outside trying to get in. Carefully, Ed pulled himself out of the vent, absently brushing the dust from his jacket as he surveyed the new space.

He was now in a large room with a very high ceiling. The walls were decorated with the finest tapestries in Dalmasca, with threads of gold woven into them. There were statues and busts, sculptures and deep chests overflowing with gemstones and piles of gil...this had to be the Royal Treasure Vault.

Aimlessly, Ed began to wander about the mounds of treasure, running his fingers over everything as he tried to assess the contents of the room. The Goddess' Tear would surely be kept in a place such as this. The only questions were where and what did it look like? The alchemist knew it was a stone, but other than that he wasn't quite sure. He had no idea of its size or color, or how it was stored, but he didn't let details like that distract him. Ed figured he'd just know when he found it. He always seemed to figure things out one way or another.

As he made his way across the room, he spotted a small statue of a beautiful young woman that grabbed the young man's attention. She stared up into the heavens as she clutched her hands to her breast. The curves of her long, ivory legs were easily seen through the gaps of the loosely draped garment she wore. Her hair flowed freely, spilling locks of curls over her shoulders and down the gentle slope of her back. There was something odd about her face though, and all of the dust made it hard to tell what it was. Carefully he wiped his thumb over her nose and across her cheeks, revealing the smooth white stone beneath. "She's crying."

Immediately a White Mist burned from her breast, and the startled youth quickly withdrew his hand from the sculpture. It burned intensely, and the Mist was so dense that he couldn't see his owns hands before him. He shielded his face from the burning light, his heart racing in his chest. Just as suddenly as it appeared though, the Mist had faded. Ed couldn't believe his luck. The stature had been altered in those few moments, revealing a glowing stone the size of a pear fruit. The Mist within swirled continuously, its soft light both soothing and mesmerizing.

He stood watching the ebb and flow of the stone's power for another moment, before finally reaching out and grasping it in his hand. It was warm to the touch, but only slightly so. Other than that and the glowing light, it seem like any other stone. It was amazing to see though: a physical manifestation of the Mist's power. He was staring at the stone again, though now that he realized it he finally stopped and tucked the magicite into his inner pocket.

He turned around and nearly walked into a seven-foot tall suit of armor. He stood back and inspected it closely. It's spiked helmet was topped with a long tassel of silky hair. He wondered what rare game had supplied such a lock. A Wooly Gator? "And who the hell is that tall anyway?" He caught his reflection in the suit's chest plate, and began picking the cobwebs from his hair.

Something moved behind him, its reflection betraying its stealth. Instinctively he dove behind the armor for cover, just as a sword came crashing down where his neck had been. The blade gave an awful screech as it scraped against the empty suit. "What the hell are trying to do? I was standing there!" Ed drew his knife from his hip and stood to face his attacker.

"Where is the Goddess Magicite?" A dark-haired man stood before him, his sword pointed toward Ed's chest. He adjusted his gloves as he glared threateningly at the blonde youth before him. The almond shape of his eyes made his expression even more fierce. The man smirked arrogantly as he waited for Ed to answer, which only served to rile brash youth further. This guy had some nerve barging in here and swinging his sword around like he owned the place. That he thought little of Ed's ability to defend himself only pissed him off that much more.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I sure as hell don't have it." He eyed the small passageway he had entered through as he tried to calculate his escape. He'd have to get past this creep first though, and if Ed was correct in his guess then that man was a pirate: someone used to hand-to-hand combat...but was he used to alchemy?

As Ed began to summon the Mist around him, an arrow flew across the room, narrowly missing his ear. Stunned, Ed turned his face slightly to see the end of a feathered shaft wobbling fiercely, its head buried deep within the stone wall behind him.

"That's my pilot, Riza. As you can see she's one hell of a shot. I wouldn't try anything stupid, kid. Just hand over the stone."

"Roy, there is Mist about him. I believe his is an alchemy user."

"Ah, so you've got a few tricks of your own, eh? Well how about this: you give us the stone, and we'll help you get out of here. Maybe share a few tricks of the trade. A smart kid like you has the makings of a great sky-pirate."

"Don't be cute with me. If I give you the stone - which I don't have by the way - you'll just leave me here to take the fall, or better yet, turn me into the guards as you make your escape. No way." He crossed his arms over his chest defiantly.

"Guards approach. We must take exit before they arrive." A tall, light-haired woman appeared from behind a large, bronze sculpture. She carried an ornate, exotic looking longbow that she kept fitted with an arrow. Her sepia eyes swept over the room, searching for something amid the vast amounts of royal treasure.

"Hey kid, how did you get in here? Maybe we can escape that way. We'll talk about the stone later."

Ed could hear the palace guards approach them. He had to think fast. it was highly unlikely that he could escape both the guards and these two, and the guards certainly wouldn't offer him a deal if they caught up with him. He'd have to take his chances with the pirates it seemed. Ed sighed and pointed to the uncovered grate in the far corner. "I came in through that crawl space."

The man called Roy stepped across him, walking over to the wall that Ed identified. "iThat's/i how you got in?" He knelt down and examined the small entryway, quickly standing up, clearly exasperated. "Damn, there's no way we'll all fit through there."

"Who are you calling a bean-sized sprout so small he can fit into microscopic spaces?!?"

"Oh shut up," Roy replied, snapping his fingers and closing his slanted eyes. He was soon surrounded by a Red Spiraling Mist, which twisted and snaked through the air as it grew in flaming intensity. Suddenly the dark haired pirate opened his eyes and snapped his fingers a second time, promptly blasting an alchemic hole through the storeroom wall. He grabbed Ed's jacket collar and dragged him into the hallway with Riza following after.


	4. Chapter 4

Armored footsteps echoed throughout the marble halls; the reverberations made it hard to tell which way they were coming from. Ed struggled to breathe as his jacket dug into his throat, his heels dragging on the floor. That bastard pirate was going to choke him to death if he didn't stop dragging him like this. Finally, he reached behind him and grabbed the other man's wrist, twisting himself around so that he could breathe easier.

"Let go of me you jerk!"

"Be quiet!" Roy hissed, stopping at the junction of another hallway. He let go of Ed's collar and crouched down, motioning for Edward to to do the same. "Listen, the guards must know we're here somewhere. We weren't expecting to get held up back there, so our entrance was less than subtle. We won't be able to leave the same way we got in. So it looks like we need your help. Do you know how to get out of here?"

That Roy sure was a bastard Ed decided. As if he had a choice but to help them at this point. He strongly doubted the pirate thieves would let him walk away from them now, seeing how they thought he had the stone, and he didn't expect any leniency from the guards either. God dammit. He poked his blonde head around the corner to try and get his bearings straight, though it was pretty difficult to recognize anything in the hall as he had only seen glimpses of everything through slotted grates.

"There they are!"

"Don't let them escape!" The shouts grew closer and closer as the guards approached.

"No time kid, where are we headed?"

"Some great plan you have, relying on someone like me to help you steal."

"What, you're going to try and pull something on me? Highly unlikely considering what you're up against."

"Whatever." He looked around trying to recognize something, anything, and noticed the aroma of cooking roasts. The kitchens had to be in that direction. "This way."

They took off at a full run, barreling down the hall at break neck speed. When they neared the junction of two more halls, a group of guardsmen cut them off with swords drawn. Riza quickly loosed a few arrows, all of them flying true and sinking deep into the necks of their opponents.

They stepped over the fallen bodies and continued onward. The smells of the evening feast grew stronger, and Ed was hopeful that they might reach the hidden stair in time. They reached another junction and another group of guards, and Riza took them out with ease. Ed was feeling better about helping them now. His chances of escaping this pair seemed more and more unlikely as he witnessed the archer's skill.

They reached another hall and turned right, and were face to face with a large group of guardsmen. Before they could turn round a second group had closed in from behind. "Well this doesn't look too good," Roy observed.

"No shit," Ed retorted. He scanned the crowded space for some means of escape, though it seemed they were truly caught. A door opened behind the first group of guardsmen, revealing a busy kitchen with frantic servants bustling about inside. Taking a chance, Ed clapped his hands together and began summoning the surrounding Mist. Bright blue light filled the chamber, and the startled cries of the guards were soon drowned out by the grinding shifting of heavy stone.

When the light faded, they found that two walls had formed on either side, blocking the trio from both sets of guardsmen. A hole had opened up in the floor, revealing a set of freshly made stairs. Without hesitation, Ed leaped down the opening and learned that he was right: The waterway was indeed right below them in this part of the Palace.

The two pirates were quick to follow, bounding down the stairs in haste. When they had reached bottom, the pair looked to Ed and he pointed in the direction of the kitchens. If these pathways ran beneath the kitchen, there was a chance they'd be able to find their way back to familiar passageways. When they took off running, Ed clapped his hands once more and began summoning the Mist.

"Hey kid, there isn't enough Mist left down here for that. Let's get going."

Ignoring the older man, Ed focused his call to the mystic energies that flowed. Though he didn't want to admit it, the pirate was right about the amount of Mist that lingered. He hoped he would have enough to seal the stairwell at least. Instead of the familiar blue light that accompanied Ed's Quickenings, a crisp white light began to glow. A fire burned against his chest, searing him through his jacket pocket. The heat was intense, burning him deeply. Ed tried to focus the energy as best he could, hoping it would be over quickly. When he could feel the stone floor settle into place he relaxed his strength, collapsing onto the wet floor.

Weakly he checked his jacket pocket, wondering how bad the damage was. He had unconsciously activated the stone. Amazingly, his clothing was intact, and when he ran his hands over his chest there was no pain.

" ' iI don't know what you're talking about. I don't have the magicite.'/i Bullshit!" Roy jested mockingly. "So where are we headed, kid? Our ship is anchored at the border of the Giza Plains."

"Perfect. We're heading to Lowtown's South Scrawl. There's an exit right outside of South Gate."

"Roy, do you think they will have a replacement glossair ring? Ours was damaged in our last flight."

"I think I know just the mechanic for you." Ed smirked to himself, trying to picture Winry's reaction to this pair of sky-pirates. She'd probably be pissed. Ed hoped that Roy had a cool enough ship to help her get over any misgivings she may have. Now he just needed to figure out what exactly to do with this stone. He couldn't believe he had actually found it! Finally, he'd be able to bring his brother back to him.

They continued down the darkened pathways of the old sewers in relative silence, hoping to find their way out.


End file.
